Invalid-bedstead



L1. SNYDER.

INVALID BEDSTEAD. APPLlCATl0N.l-'ILED SEPf. 19- 1918.

Patented Feb. 10, 1920.

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- L. LSNYDEH.

INVALID BEDSTEAD.

APPLICATIONFILEDSEPT-l9. 1914;.

1,330,658. Patented Feb. 10,1920.

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NTTED STATES ATENT @FFTCE.

LEVI J'. SNYDER, OF WILMINGTON, GALIFORNIA.

INVALID-BEDSTEAD.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, LEVI J. SNYDER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at "Wilmington, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Invalid-Bedsteads, of which the following is a specification.

The principal purpose of the invention is to provide a device of this character particularly adapted as a hospital bed or cot, the device comprehending a novel and effective means by which the head and body of an invalid may be raised or lowered to afford a comfortable position for the latter.

A further purpose of the invention contemplates the .structure of a' device of this character which is simple in construction, durable and effective in operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

Still further and other objects will appear in the following detail description.

While illustrated and described in a specific embodiment, the invention is not to be restricted to such; actual practical application may suggest certain desirable changes or alterations, and the right is claimed to make any which do not deviate from the scope of the annexed claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the improved bedstead,

Fig. 2 is a top planview of the same,

Fig. 3 is an end elevation looking at the foot,

Fig. 4 is an end elevation looking at the head,

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of a portion of the mattress used with the improved bedstead,

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the head rest employed.

As illustrated in the drawings, the bedstead is provided with the usual head and foot frames 1 and 2, and the side rails 3, the construction of the bed so far as concerns these features being much the same as the conventional form of bedstead. It differs from the conventional form, how'- ever, in the matter of the mattress employed. This latter comprises the longitudinal strips 4 made preferably from flat spring steel and extending the length of the bed, being in spaced relation to each other as respects the Width of the bed. All of these longitudinal strips 4 are united by Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 10, 1920 Application filed September 19, 1918. Serial 110.254,?89.

transverse pieces 5 in the form of flat steel bars formed at their ends with U-shaped hook members 6 which hook over the side rails 3. To maintain the longitudinal strips lin alinement, they are united at points intermediate between their ends by a transverse strip 7, both the strip 7 and the bars 5 being attached to the strips at by riveting or other acceptable means.

At a specified distance from the head frame 1, the side rails 3 have eyes 8 formed therein, and theseeyes receive the inturned ends 9 of a yoke member 10 which extends transversely across the bed beneath the side rails and the strips 4. This yoke piece 10 has connected with it, the lower ends of strips 11 which are somewhat narrower than the strips at and are so positioned that they pass through the spaces between the strips 4i and the spaces between the latter and the side rails 3, their manner of connection with the yoke member 10 being such that there may be relative angular movementbetween the said strips and the yoke member. All of the strips 11 are united by a rod member 12 at the end opposite those which connect with the yoke, and this rod member at both ends is provided with g the heads 13 to prevent the outermost strips 11 from being disengaged from the rod.

The head frame 1 has formed at its center and on the top an inverted U-shaped extension 14, at the center of which there is mounted for rotary movement a grooved pulley 15. This grooved pulley is providedto permit the strips 11 and their attendant transversely disposed connecting members, (all of which combine to form a head and shoulder rest), to be raised and lowered by means of the cable 16 which is trained over the pulley 15 and has one end connected to the rod 12 substantially at the longitudinal center of the latter and the remaining end of the cable 16 is secured to and is designed for winding upon a shaft 17, when the latter is turned. This shaft 17 is mounted for rotary movement in a frame 18, the latter being of rectangular formation in plan and surrounding the two legs of the head frame. The shaft 17 is j ournaled in the end of this frame which is appropriately secured to the legs of the head frame, but has one end projecting through the end of the frame 18 a sufiicient distance to permit its receiving the ratchet wheel 19 which is secured on the shaft in any appropriate manner. This end of the shaft 17 extends far enough through the ratchet wheel 19 to allow the formation of a square head 20 which is designed to receive a detachable crank 21 used for imparting rotary motion to the shaft and since gravity would tend normally to keep the head and shoulder rest lowered, a pawl 22 is provided and this pawl is pivotally mounted on the end of the frame 18 adjacent to which the ratchet wheel 19 stands and its nose engages in the teeth of the ratchet wheel.

It is obvious from the description of the construction just disclosed that the head and shoulder rest may be raised by the turning of the crank 21 in such a direction as to wind the cable 16 thereon, the pawl 22 reventing any unwinding of the cable and hence serving to maintain the head rest in the position to which it is elevated by the turning of the crank. Obviously, the reverse of this operation may be performed to lower the head rest, it being only necessary to accomplish this to throw the pawl 22 back where its nose will not engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel.

The crank 21 is made detachable so that it may be disengaged from the shaft when not in use, and will thus not remain ahazard to the clothes and limbs of the person or persons attendant on the invalid Within the bed.

In the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention have been made clearly apparent and further description is therefore omitted.

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and useful is:

An invalid bedstead embodying foot and head frames and side rails connecting the same, a mattress carried on the side rails and having longitudinal strips spaced from each other, a yoke member straddling the side rails and provided with inturned extremities pivotally engaging holes formed in the side rails, a transversely disposed rod member, a plurality of strips each having one end pivotally connected with the yoke and the remaining end with the rod memher, the strips passing between certain of the aforesaid strips, and means carried by the head frame and connecting with said rod member whereby the latter may be raised and lowered, the pivotal connections between the last said strips and the yoke providing for their positioning angularly with respect to the first said strips and the pivotal connection between the yoke and the side rails providing for slight longitudinal movement of said last named strips, so that any tendency to crush a fabric mattress at the point of bending is avoided, the last said strips by longitudinal movement tending to draw the mattress up at the time of bending the same.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

LEVI J. SNYDER. 

